Gone Long Ago
by SoppyStory
Summary: When the F.A.Y.Z happens Meera, 15, has no clue what's going on. She lives in a rural area but in her frantic panic to discover where her mother disappeared to. Then she crashes into a tree when she sees an upturned car. Inside is Alex, a 15 year old boy who is compassionate and kind. When romance blooms so does the blood bath. -Perfect for Romance Lovers, or Action Fanatics
1. Hello There in the Dark

Meera was sitting at the table getting ready to snack upon a heaping plate of bacon, when the pan clattered to the floor. She turned and screamed.

"Mom?" Running outside Meera scan the vast area and saw nothing, not my mom, anywhere. She I calls out her name until her voice is hoarse and Rix is clawing the door. After she gives up hope she stalks back into the house ignoring the long gash marks in the wood. Rix's shadow-like appearance trailed at my heels. Meera paced around the house, waiting for anybody to show up. After checking, and rechecking the house, which confirmed her mother was nowhere to be found she made a decision. Latching the blue leash onto Rix's collar Meera didn't bother to lock the door behind her. Bounding to the car she slammed the trucks door and revved the engine. Rix was sitting in the passenger seat staring at Meera with a concerned expression.

Hitting the gas pedal with unnecessary force the truck jolted forward causing Meera to hit the steering wheel with so much power she could feel the bruise forming along her rib cage. A bark echoed from Rix but was quickly lost in the squeal of tires dragging across the dirt road. Her hands nervously trailed through her blonde, almost white hair.

Speeding across the lowly maintained roads of the rural areas was very bumpy and prompted her nervous nature. Rix could sense her discomfort and nuzzled her loose hand. It had an extremely soothing effect, and the muscles in Meera's arm began to loosen up. Until she came across an overturned silver SUV. Her foot didn't have a moment to hit the brakes before a loud scream echoed, a moment later she realized it was her own voice crying in terror. Then the tree was all that she could see and with a sickening crumpling of metal Sheera's forehead hit the front of the steering wheel. Well, so much for airbags, she thought. Turning to the passenger's side she saw Rix's form curled into the smallest possible configuration, and to make the situation a picture of irony, the airbag had been triggered for Rix.

So she began laughing hysterically, but it turned into loud heaving sobs. Opening the jammed door she coaxed Rix out, while the tears caked on her face.

"Hello?" a voice asked.

"Who's there?" Meera replied looking around the landscape. All she could see was her car twisted around the tree, and a flipped car a few feet behind her. Cautiously she approached the car and she saw a hand sticking out of the crushed window. Glass was scattered around the floor, and there were trickles of blood spilling from a few mangled cuts on the arm.

"Alex. Could you help me?" His voice was a badly masked attempt to shake off pain. Meera could tell, from his tone and Rix's whimpering as he sat next to the damaged arm and was licking around the pieces of jagged glass protruding from the bloodied flesh.

"Is that your arm?" Her voice trembled as she swept up her waist long hair into a very awkward, messy bun.

"The one sticking out the car? Yeah, that's mine." There was an attempt at nonchalance was failed when a high crack in his voice revealed the pain. This created a sense of urgency that made Sheera dash to the side of the car where Rix tended to Alex's arm. Ignoring the glass shards Meera tried the first thing that came to mind, opening the door. It was too bent to work anymore, so she let out a cry of frustration.

"What do I do?"

"Do you think you could just get my seatbelt off and I could crawl out?" Meera shook her head, then realized he couldn't even see her.

Crawling down onto her hand and knees, disregarding the glass she scooted through the window, for once grateful of her childlike frame. It had always bugged her that she had never grown to a full sized person but stayed the same size as a fifth grader. For once she was thankful when she slid through with ease. Alex wasn't anything like she expected, he had luscious dark hair, even when it was clumped with dried blood, and it was still gorgeous. His jaw was squared and he had full lips, which were at the moment drained of any color, which brought her back to her original mission.

"Where is the belt?"

"Right under my right arm." He muttered using his head to gesture toward the injured arm. Her hand moved to gently raise the shredded arm while Alex's face scrunched up, but he didn't make a sound. With a click the seat belt retreated and he was free. Slowly Meera backed out of the car, and Alex dragged himself across the car following her out the window, more carefully than Meera. She couldn't really blame him, he was injured enough, no sense to add any more damage.

"So, what's your name?" He asked as he plucked out one piece of glass from his bloody flesh, then dumping it into a small pile. Every shard he took out was followed by a short lived wince, so feeling left out she started to help peel away the shards from his arm.

"Sheera." Rix had joined them and had started licking the wounds. Meera tried to push him away but Alex just waved his good hand away from my waving hand.

"No, it's alright. Dogs have antibiotics on their tongues, it should help. Meera, that's an interesting name, any story behind it?" She moved onto the glass in his side, where his shirt had been ripped apart into shreds of cloth. Meera had a small disorder, she felt the need to keep busy, and feeling useless is not her strong suit.

"My dad used to have meerkats, intelligent, curious creatures. My dad said I reminded him of a meerkats as a baby. So it was turned to Meera. A little odd." Eventually his whole body was clear of any glass, and some color had returned into his face. Rix was playing nurse as they talked, once they had finished clearing Alex off they had moved away to the side of the road to lean against a tree.

"It's a cute name." He said as his hand reached to touch hers he gasped. "You didn't say anything about the glass in your hands."

Turning her hand over delicately in his he stared at the gashes and began tending to them.

"It's nothing, just a couple cuts. I'm used to it." She admitted. His eyes trailed to the old puckered scars that crisscrossed along her arm. What nobody else knew, is that they also decorated most of her clothed skin. A gasp emitted from his lips, and Meera wouldn't meet his eyes, she was too embarrassed to say anything. It was a secret she guarded from many people. Even her mother had not known, she just thought it was the mean cat down the road who kept attacking the children walking to the bus stop. At least that's what Meera had told her.

Pulling her arm away from his loose fingers, she cradled it closer to her body. She had hid her marks under long impractical shirts, and hoodies. It hadn't been a problem because, well nobody bothered to pay attention to me. When Meera had shifted, her shirt rode up revealing the mess of scars that embellished my abdomen. Now she was just uncomfortable and squeamish as his face turned into an expression of worry.

"Why would anyone do this to themselves?" Her fingers tangled within themselves and she mumbled with the shirt to pull it back down where it covered her flaws. Biting her lip she tried to say something.

"I was in a bad place." Voice trembling Meera reached over to causally tear the glass from her bloodied knees.


	2. Uncomfortable Encounters

"I just don't understand how someone could do that to themselves. It doesn't make sense." He took her arm and began to gently slide the glass from her gashes. The pile was so big it was terrifying to think that all the glass had actually been embedded in their flesh.

"It's complicated." She mutters. Hoping he would take the hint Meera pushed herself up onto her two shaking legs. Taking a moment to steady herself she concentrated on a single tree, using it as a focal point. Once she felt firm enough, she began walking, turning her back to Alex.

He got up and set his hand on her shoulder pausing her in her footsteps. His hand was warm in the curved indent of her collarbone.

"We shouldn't split up. Not after my uncle disappeared into thin air, it was as if he was there one moment and then gone the next."

"My mom just ran off, as usual. I'm sure it's nothing." She confessed. "But, if you want, my place is a couple miles down the road." Casually she let his hand drop back to his side, it felt odd for someone to touch her at all. She had shied away from physical contact ever since her father had begun hitting her and she had learned to shrug off all contact.

"Yeah, that's fine. Are you sure you can walk with all the gashes in your knees?" He asked concern ringing from every aspect. Meera shook it off and kept walking.

"I don't even feel them."

"What happened to make you so …" Alex drifted off as he looked for a fitting word that wouldn't hurt her feelings. He suspected she had enough of that in her life.

"Pathetic. That's the word you were looking for." She inserted. Her pace quickened she tried to deflect the oncoming questions, but Alex wasn't ready to let it go.

"No, you're not pathetic, just sad." He gently laid the words on her, trying not to scare her, or worse offend her. He was afraid she'd break, her slight frame, long ghostly hair, and matching milky skin, gave her the image of a dove's feather. Pale and brittle.

Smirking she turned to show him her half smile. "Sad, that's what I am."

"Are you sure you're alright? Your cuts are bleeding again." He stated pointedly, Meera looked down without a change in expression as her hand reached to wipe the warm runny blood. Not even a twitch at her mouth. She was so emotionless that it was slightly scary.

"Were almost there." Monotone.

"This is the middle of nowhere." Alex claimed gesturing toward the rolling never-ending fields. Meera just pointed to the horizon where a small shape was a house. It didn't seem so big from where they stood, but Alex assumed it'd grow bigger as the continued on.

"I never said it was close to the town." Meera answered the implied question reaching to slap a mosquito that had settled on her arm. With a sickening clap, that was harder than it needed to be it fell to the ground leaving a new spot of blood on her arm.

The rest of the walk was quiet and Meera was glad Alex hadn't asked her anymore questions. She wasn't used to talking to people this often. Eventually the house grew into a two story building with a wraparound porch and a spacious picket fenced yard.

Meera was hard to read but she could read anyone else like an open book. She could tell that Alex was reluctant to refrain from pursuing the questions that pounded in his head. She could also see he was still in pain from the gashes in his arm, well, she didn't need to be able to read people, he was cradling the arm to his side. Rix was loping behind Alex with an ecstatic step, and Meere knew that Rix wouldn't be having a problem with Alex.


	3. Let It Rain Feelings

"So your mom's not back." Alex stated. If Meera was a regular girl she would've rolled her eyes, unfortunately it took too much emotion to complete the task.

"Obviously." Walking up to the fridge and pulling out a plate of leftovers from last night, she examined the pasta before grabbing a fork. She felt this hunger in the pit of her stomach, but the food looked unappetizing. No matter what Meera said she knew something was out of place, and agreed with Alex. She had known something had happed to her mother the second she went outside to find the car sitting in the driveway. Whenever my mom leaves she takes the car with her, because sweaty and tired doesn't work when you're picking up guys. Or so she's heard.

"You're so quiet. Quiet people always have a lot to say. So, penny for your thoughts." He had taken a seat at the kitchen table with a wet paper towel which he had dipped under running water and began cleaning the dried blood from his arms. The paper was soon stained red, and there was more red than white.

Meera held an outstretched palm waiting for the penny. "Pay first." She meant it as a joke but her lips didn't curve up into a smile like Alex thought. They stayed in the same grim line, and it seemed all too serious. Alex thought of himself as an easy going guy, who laughs all the time. She seemed his complete opposite. Strong minded, he longed to pull the emotion out from under her skin. So cold from the outside, he wondered what her personality might actually be underneath all the rock. Alex set his mind, and made it his mission to coax Meera out of her shell.

"You want me to pay?" After a silent pause Alex made a big deal of digging in his pocket, scrounging for a penny. He found a quarter and offered it to her in the palm of his hand. Swiping it from his hand, without any contact at all, she pocketed the coin.

"My mom disappeared into thin air. Whenever she leaves, she always takes the car." Nothing, no tinge of sadness in her voice. Not a tint to taint the perfectly colorless drone.

"What do you think it means?" After a pause of silence Alex aimed to poke her in the arm, but just missed, poking under her ribcage and she nearly jumped out of her skin wincing in the process. His hand abruptly drew back and Meera had her arms wrapped around her waist protectively.

"Hey, are you hurt?" Alex stood up moving to lift the tip of her shirt up.

"No." She roars at him. "Don't lay a single finger on me." Her hand is suddenly there pushing him away from her. There's a blackness in her eyes that looks almost alien. His hands ignore her request. Darting quickly he managed to tug up her top a couple inches to examine if anything was life threatening. A couple of inches was enough for him to drop the shirt and his face twisted into a mix of inseparable emotions, Meera turned away ready to bolt. Before she got a chance to sprint away Alex caught her arm, as gently as he could. She turned to face him her grey eyes darting from his face to his hand on her arm.

"How can you touch me, when I'm a monster?" She demanded her eyes ever-changing into a dark grey, and back to snow white.

"You're not the monster, you're just tormented by one." His voice was tender as his eyes set on hers and instead of her melting, his whole disgust melted away as he stared at the barricade. If he looked hard enough, he swore he could see a crack in the wall.

Then instead of breaking, her voice turned into an iron rod, the fury directed at him.

"What do you know about me? How do you know I'm not a monster, you've seen what I've done? You're disgusted by it, I can see it in your eyes. I'm a broken toy, so don't pretend to give a crap about me, nobody has for a long time. It doesn't bother me anymore." The steely glint in her eyes threw Alex off guard, he hadn't expected such an attack.

"I think it does." His gaze was tender on the angles of her face.

"Does what?" She demanded.

"There's a story behind you, and I am going to stick around to find it." His whole demeanor was sincere and for just a moment the gates opened to reveal a delicate girl.

"Do you really mean that?" Her eyes softened to a pale, ice blue and her hands dropped to her sides. It was almost vulnerable on her part. He itched to reach out and cradle her small frame in his arms, but afraid of scaring her he restrained himself.

"Yeah, I do." Meera's gaze dropped to the floor and she rubbed her arm. Avoiding his gaze she glanced out the window and headed toward the door. Pausing she turned toward him.

"It's dark, I'm going to settle down on the couch. There's another couch on the other side of the room." She walked into the living room. After a moment I got up and followed her into the room, where she was curled up onto the couch a blue afghan wrapped around her legs and a remote in her hand. There was a tilt to her eyebrows as she stared at the TV confused. The television mumbled static as she flashed through the channels. None of them seemed to be clear just the buzz of static. Her gaze drifted to him then back to the television before shutting it off all together.

"I guess the TV's not working." Alex commented as he settled down on the couch next to Meera who shrunk away but he was not deterred. The temptation to sit next to her so that their hands were touching was overwhelming.

"So we'll have to entertain ourselves in another way. I have a secret." His hand settled on his knee. "But, if I tell you a secret you need to tell me one of yours."

Meera pulled her knees close to her body, and Alex realized his mistake and backed off. It was obvious he was being too intrusive and he needed to withdraw. She began to relax as soon as the distance grew greater between the two bodies.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. It was wrong of me to imply anything that makes you uncomfortable." So to ease the silence Alex kept talking. "My parents died a while ago. That's why I was driving with my uncle, they died in a fire."

"That's sad." The muscles had relaxed in her whole body and Alex would've smiled if he didn't want to put her off.

"My dad left us, a long time ago. He was my first monster." Just when Alex had thought the dam would break the light turned off in her eyes. "Well, I'm getting tired." Her eyes closed as the blanket wrapped around her body. Alex was getting ready to get up when Meera opened her eyes and quietly whispered, not necessarily to him, but more to the wind.

"If you'd like to stay where you are, I wouldn't mind." The light had already faded outside the window so Alex knew that Meera couldn't see the smile playing on his lips. He leaned into the back of the sofa and crossed his arms on his lap, closed his eyes, and listened to the sound of her even breathing.


	4. Hold On to Me

When Meera opened her eyes the light was still dim as it streamed through the windows. She turned to look at Alex and saw he was still sound asleep. The even sound of his breathing was calming and he seemed so peaceful his head lay against the back of the couch and he held hand. A small hand which to her surprise connected to her arm. Just then did she realize she felt safe and comfortable with no desire to make him move, or for that matter let him. Meera laid her head back down on the arm of the chair and decided she enjoyed his company, also his willingness to care about her problems was admirable. Her own mother didn't pay attention and her dad had wanted nothing to do with her. Frankly, she had no idea how to act around him in a way to let him know she didn't mind the attention and even enjoyed it. In the past she had shied away from all physical contact and habits die hard, but she was willing to try and knock it off.

An idea struck her as the thoughts spun in her head. She had watched many movies but she was sure it wasn't like that in real life. Quietly and carefully she turned all the way around sliding into his side never letting go of his hand. Then as quickly as it came she changed her mind forcing herself to drop his hand and lifted herself off the couch stretched her arms over her head before progressing into the kitchen. Deciding that because her mom wasn't here to yell at her, she may as well raid the ice cream box. Flinging the freezer open she found the box of Caramel Vanilla Cones. Carefully she ripped the wrapper, attempting to keep the noise level down but, the slowness just created more sound so like a band aid she ripped it off.

Taking a first bite into the ice cream was always the best part, at least that's what Meera thought. Let it melt into your mouth. Slowly walking she crept up the stairs passing the locked door, and entered the room with black walls. It would've looked dreary but almost all of the walls were painted over with pictures of everything imaginable. Meera's favorite was the huge white wings she had painted wishing she could take them of the wall and fly away. In a corner were the tentacles of an octopus which she could be swallowed up in. Picking up her bottles of paint and an old piece of cardboard she hunted down her brushes, then sitting down at the only fully blank wall she got lost in the brush strokes.

_:_::_;;;_::::_:::_::_:_

Alex's eyes cracked open hoping to see Meera's glowing mane of hair, but she was gone. Disappointment spread through him like the blood in his veins. Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, he hoisted himself off the couch and went in search of her. First he checked the kitchen and found it empty. After following the maze of rooms, he ended up back in the living room. That's when he noticed the stairs tucked quaintly in the corner of the room. He tread quietly and when he reached the top he checked the first room in the hall. The walls were lime green and a large canopy bed stood in one corner of the room. The room looked as if it had been attacked by green feather boas. There was a bookshelf covering an entire wall, filled top to bottom with books. However, there was no Meera. It was most likely her little sister's. As he turned to leaved he caught sight of the thick layer of dust on the dresser. Shutting the door with ease he proceeded to the next room which was beige and had a king sized bed. By the look of it, he guessed her mom's. The third room in the hallway was open and the first thing his eyes set on, was her. She was standing on her knees a brush in her hands and finishing of a painting of, him. Even as he walked behind her she didn't turn around. He watched each brushstroke as she painted, his eyes wandering around the room. It was covered in beautiful art, from the floor to the ceiling.

"You're an amazing artist." Alex said aloud. She leaped around startled. He immediately began apologizing and as she realized it was him she stood in front of the painting trying to hide it from his searching eyes.

In one hand she held the dripping remnants of what must have been an ice cream, and the other still held the paint brush.

"You scared me." Her voice sounded small. Alex examined her over, she was extremely hard to read. Her emotions show for a moment before disappearing a second later. He just couldn't figure her out.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. Did you paint all these." He pointed to the walls. Nodding she rubbed the goose bumps on her arms and he realized that it was freezing in her room. "You look cold." Then stripping the fleece blanket of her bed he approached her and draped it over her arms. Gingerly she put the ice cream in her mouth and then held onto the blanket to keep it from dropping to the ground.

"Thanks."

"Do you want me to make something warm?" Alex said leading her away from the wall. "Woah." She had just passed between the huge angels wings painted onto the wall. "Stand there." he pointed. "The wings fit you perfectly." Meera half smiled. A heavy sadness in her eyes.

"They should. I made them for me." Abruptly she moved toward the door.

In the kitchen Meera had started to boil water the blanket still gripped in between her chilled fingers. Never leaving the warmth of the steam billowing up from the pot, she huddled close and all Alex wished to do was to wrap his arms around her. Alex's thoughts drifted toward the disappearance of their relatives and pondered the idea to walk all the way to town. Maybe they could find explanations there, or so he hoped.

"Meera, since your mom isn't back maybe we should go into town." She nodded as she took the pot off the stove and poured the boiling water into the two cups. The color from the tea bags seeped out, first pink then intensifying into dark red. If he wasn't with her he would never have drunk tea. It was unmanly, but as soon as he took a swig, he let out a girly cry spitting the tea into the sink.

Meera found this uncanny and she quietly stirred her tea with a spoon, a smile bouncing on her face.

"What's so funny?" He cried.

"It's hot. So don't drink it all at one time." The curve of her pale pink lips rendered him speechless. She was smiling. In fact, she was feeling more and more comfortable around him.

"Well, that would have been helpful a minute ago, when I burned the inside of my mouth."

He didn't want to ruin this moment before the smile disappeared into a thin line. Carefully he approached her leaning against the counter top, their shoulders brushed against each other and the joy in her face flushed away. It was hard once again, Alex silently punished himself for screwing the whole scene up.

"I think we need to head out. If we're walking we need as much daylight as possible." Downing the last of her tea she disappeared through the door and left Alex to stare warily at the cup that burned him. Cautiously lifting it up he took a sip. It was lukewarm so he quickly finished it and followed after Meera. As he walked through the thresh hold he crashed into a body that was made of fifty percent white locks. Following the loud crash Alex found his head hit the floor in a sickening jolt, but that didn't concern him. Meera was sprawled over top of him. Snowy hair draped all over, he found his hands wrapped around her miniscule waist. Realizing that his hands touched, he tried to look over the flurry of hair but knew that his fingers wrapped around her whole waist without a doubt. She was just so small, he concluded as much. It wasn't very long before she was scrambling away. Searching for her eyes Alex's gaze found hers and while his was one of content, hers were eyes of fear. Alex didn't understand as she quickly bent over to pick up what she had dropped. It was a relatively large black backpack and Meera quickly clutched it to her chest.

"You should watch where you're going." She snarled bitterly. It cut him like the shards of glass had, but he sucked it up.

"I'm sorry. Are you ok?" She had immediately regretted the sentence as soon as it left her mouth. He didn't do anything wrong, he was just walking and she had lashed out at him. Quickly she rushed to apologize but he wouldn't take it.

"You're right I should've been looking where I was going." He replied. He felt so much better when she apologized. He believed she sincerely meant it, yet he could not wipe the image of her twisted face. Meera continued to apologize as they walked into the kitchen.

"I'm sorry, it's just... nothing. It was wrong of me to yell at you." Alex watched her frustrated that she almost tells him about herself when she just cuts off. He would have let her talk and he would have listened until there wasn't anything left to say.

"Please tell me." He pleaded slightly, as to not unnerve her, again. She looked very reluctant but decided that he was here, and he had stayed. Even though she realized he wouldn't leave without a way to get back, she dismissed the idea in loose hope.

"My dad used to hurt me, in ways dads shouldn't. I hated him for it and I've never left the habit of fighting against him." Though she didn't directly say it Alex could piece together the pieces easily and his lips pulled down into a frown. He made a quick decision, opening his arms he gestured for Meera for a hug.

The first thought that ran through her mind was to run, but because Alex wasn't approaching her but letting her come to him, she gathered it was safe enough. So she walked into his arms. At first he was surprised, then Alex let out a sigh and gently he let his arms fold around her. At first she was stiff as a board, almost as if she didn't know how to hug. In truth she didn't, when you shied away from contact people stay away from you, even your mother. Soon enough she pressed her head to his chest and listened to the sound of his breathing. The most breathtaking thing was she had finally opened up to him. He inhaled her sweet vanilla scent, and wished the moment would be lost in a freeze frame forever.


End file.
